Ottokar XIII of Rutania
Ottokar XIII of Rutania (23 June 2349 – 5 May 2387; born Prince Francois Henri Ferdinand of Alduria) was a member of the Imperial House of Lourenne. After a distinguished career in the Aldurian Navy, he was proclaimed King of Rutania on 16 October 2382 with the backing of Rudolf IV of Luthori and a group of Rutanian monarchists who sought to revive the Rutanian monarchy. Many foreign governments, including that of Aloria, refused to recognize his government. This helped to ensure the success of Liberal forces led by Viktor Lázar, and Ottokar was executed, after capture by the Liberals, in 2387. Early life The future king of Rutania was born at Belvédère Palace, Labonne, Alduria, the second son of King Louis I of Alduria and his wife Celeste, Princess of Hessingen. His siblings were Prince Ferdinand (later Emperor Ferdinand III of Alduria), Archduke Karl Ludwig, Archduchess Maria Anna Caroline Pia and Archduke Ludwig Viktor. He was born with the full title His Imperial Highness Francois Henri Ferdinand, Prince Imperial of Alduria, Duke of Bonville. He was widely known as Prince Francois-Henri. Francois-Henri was a particularly clever boy who displayed considerable culture in his taste for the arts, and he demonstrated an early interest in science, especially botany. When he entered military service, he was trained in the Auldurian Navy. He threw himself into this career with so much zeal that he quickly rose to high command. Naval career At the age of twenty-two, Prince Francois-Henri took office as Commander-in-Chief of the Aldurian Navy in 2371. Like his uncle Prince Phillippe(2317–2350) before him, Francois-Henri had a keen private interest in the fleet, and with him the Aldurian naval force gained an influential supporter from the ranks of the Imperial Family. As Commander-in-Chief, Francois-Henri carried out many reforms to modernise the naval forces, and was instrumental in creating the naval port at Le Blanc and Mazarin, as well as the battle fleet with which admiral Jean-Claude Couvert would later secure his victories. He also initiated a large-scale scientific expedition to the south pole(1875-1877). In his political views, Prince Francopis-Henri was very much influenced by the progressive ideas in vogue at the time. He had a reputation as a liberal, and this led, in February 2377, to his appointment as viceroy of the Kingdom of Darnussia. On 27 April 2378, in Labonne (Belgium) Francois-Henri married his second cousin, Princess Maria of Estalia (later known as Queen Maria of Rutania), the daughter of Emanuel Filiberto II, King of Estalia and Charlotte of Leone. Offer of the Rutanian crown In 2381, Francois-Henri was first approached by Rutanian monarchists — members of the Rutanian aristocracy, led by local nobleman Wenceslas Goulmy-Bárz — with a proposal to become the King of Rutania. He did not accept at first, but sought to satisfy his restless desire for adventure with a botanical expedition to the tropical forests of Bahia. However, after the Aldurian/Luthori intervention in Rutania, under pressure from Rudolf IV and after General Ludwig von Rafeissen capture of Strezlau and the plebiscite which confirmed his proclamation of the Kingdom, he consented to accept the crown in 1863 (Francois-Henri was not told of the dubious nature of the plebiscite, which was held while Luthori troops were occupying most of the territory). His decision involved the loss of all his nobility rights in Alduria, though he was not informed of this until just before he left. Princess Marie was thereafter known as "Her Majesty Queen Maria". Reign as Ottokar XIII In September 2382, Prince Francois-Henri conceded his duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Aldurian Navy. He traveled from Mazarin aboard the SMS Crevecour, escorted by the frigates SMS Belvera (Aldurian) and Metzich (Luthori), and the Imperial yacht Alba led the warship procession from his castle at Mazarin out to sea. The new King of Rutania landed at Ptolz on 1 October 2382 with the backing of Rutanian conservatives and Rudolf IV, but from the very outset he found himself involved in serious difficulties since the Liberal forces led by President Viktor Lazár refused to recognise his rule. There was continuous warfare between his Luthori troops and the Republicans. Downfall Though urged to abandon Rutania by Rudolf IV himself, whose troop withdrawal from Rutania was a great blow to the Rutanian Royal cause, Ottokar refused to desert his followers. Ottokar let his followers determine whether or not he abdicated. Faithful generals such as Mikail Poltroyski and Lazlo Sobieski vowed to raise an army that would challenge the invading Republicans. Withdrawing, in February 2382, to Kládz, he sustained a siege for several weeks, but on April 11 resolved to attempt an escape through the enemy lines. This plan was sabotaged by Colonel Luitpold Plezcky who was bribed by the Republicans to open a gate and lead a raiding party though with the agreement that Ottokar would be allowed to escape. The city fell on 16 April and Ottokar was captured the next morning after the failure of a courageous attempt to break through Republican lines by a loyal hussar cavalry brigade led by Sigismund Volzcar Following a court-martial, he was sentenced to death. Many of the crowned heads of Terra and other prominent figures sent telegrams and letters to Rutania pleading for the King's life to be spared. Although he liked Ottokar on a personal level, Lazár refused to commute the sentence, believing that it was necessary to send a message that Rutania would not tolerate any government imposed by foreign powers. The sentence was carried out on May 5, 2387 when Ottokar, along with Generals Joinville and Meja, was executed by a firing squad. His last words were, "Rutanians! I die in a just cause... the independence and liberty of Rutania. May my blood be the last to flow for the good of this land. Long live Rutania!"